Page 6 of Sweet Cinnamon and the Mountain Man
Why do I have to be so nice?
“Mr. Hawks?” When he ignores me and continues trying to cram an end table into a space that’s too small, I growl. “Hey!”
He whips around and the fire in his cold blue eyes makes me jump back a foot.
But I narrow my eyes and face him. “Okay. If you need a little space, I’ll let you share my booth. But…”. He starts to say something and I glare at him so that his mouth clamps shut. “I want you to stop letting my grandmother try to set us up.”
He huffs and crosses his big arms over his broad chest. “I’m not doing it! She keeps calling saying she needs help and I like her! What do you want me to do?”
“Just wait a day or so. Let her think that you’re not coming so she doesn’t call me and then just show up. Sneak attack her just like she’s been trying to do with us!”
His mouth quirks and his blue eyes dance and it feels like my whole chest tightens, my heart racing. Darn, he’s freaking cute when he smiles!
I shove that thought down and hold my hand out, my gaze steady. “Agreed?”
“Do you want me to pay for part of your booth?”
“Nope! Just do what I asked with Agatha. I need some peace and maybe a chance to meet somebody on my own.”
His smile fades fast and my belly sinks into the dirt. So much for that.
“Yeah, okay. I’m not looking for a girlfriend either so this works out for me too.”
His big hand reaches out and cradles my smaller one and I can’t help looking down at our joined hands, a flutter in my chest. I force a smile and tug my hand free, holding it to my side.
I don’t know what’s wrong with me but I just got a co-conspirator against Agatha and that’s worth whatever the heck is going on with the pain in my chest.
Anything’s worth a little peace and quiet from Agatha’s plans. Even a deal with the devil.
Reginald
We setup in peace and then I clear my throat. Nodding my head, I glance over at the booth that’s catty corner to us. “Would you like a coffee? One of those fancy ones that all you girls like? I didn’t have time to get a cup this morning yet.”
She smirks and faces me, her hands on her thick hips. “So what you’re asking me is if I’ll watch your booth so you can go get a coffee because you need your caffeine hit, old man!”
“I’m not old,” I scoff. “But I am saying that if you care to stay and keep an eye on the booths I’ll grab us something caffeinated to tide us over until lunch.”
Nodding her head, she smirks at me and leans on the table that I placed in her space. “I guess if you’re going to be so magnanimous then I can watch our spaces and let you know if there’s something serious going on.”
“Great.”
“Great. I’d like a caramel latte if that’s alright?”
“Sure. I’ll be back as quick as possible.”
I wander off and head to the coffee booth. I can still see her from here and I find myself staring at her as I wait for the line to clear. She’s so dang beautiful that it takes my breath away.
I’ve worked hard to shore up my defenses around her since I met her but now that I actually talked to her for more than five seconds and saw the emotions in her hazel eyes, it was hard to put her in a box as just an annoying woman. Instead she was starting to feel like someone I wanted to get to know.
I turn around to place our order and then move over to the side to wait for our coffee.
And that’s when I glance over and see the man standing there talking with her. The same one that’s been haunting Silas’s land next to me like he can’t wait to get his hands on it.
My breath freezes in my throat and there’s a tightness in my chest like a band squeezing me tight.
Her hands wave around in the air and she’s glaring at him like she’d like to fry him where he stands. But she doesn’t. And he just laughs, throwing his head back and then reaching out for her hand.
A growl rolls out of my chest and I start when I realize that the feral sound was mine.
